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Topic Review (Newest First)

01-11-2013 08:07 PM

lakeroadster

Quote:

Originally Posted by timothale

I ... have thinking about ordering stock seat bottom springs from a T restoration catalog. Then building the seat bottom from that. Henry Ford was not very tall and he designed T's and A's to fit Him.

I ordered seat springs from Lang's that were chopped and they were still too tall, even with my chopped seat frame. IMO. That's why I went with webbing and foam.

01-11-2013 04:55 PM

timothale

resto-springs

I used the stock seat riser with foam over plywood and it's not very comfortable. My 16 steel body is even smaller than the glass 23's. In The present glass bucket under construction I used another stock seat riser. and have thinking about ordering stock seat bottom springs from a T restoration catalog. Then building the seat bottom from that. Henry Ford was not very tall and he designed T's and A's to fit Him.

01-11-2013 10:43 AM

NEW INTERIORS

Quote:

Originally Posted by falcon50

Thanks for all the advice, yes I know it will be a tight fit and I will be limited to a long cruise. Just looking for the best combination I can get. What can I say, a T-Bucket has always been at the top of the "Bucket List"

01-11-2013 10:40 AM

falcon50

Thanks for all the advice, yes I know it will be a tight fit and I will be limited to a long cruise. Just looking for the best combination I can get. What can I say, a T-Bucket has always been at the top of the "Bucket List"

01-11-2013 10:02 AM

DanTwoLakes

"Dan, my ref to a softer top layer of foam, according to my upholsterer, is mostly to help in making better corners, not seating comfort. "

Actually, the firmer the foam under the seat cover, the better corners it will make. Now I'm referring to seat covers that are sewn with sew foam, not necessarily to seat covers that are just fabric alone. In that case you'd need a slightly softer surface directly under the seat cover.

01-11-2013 09:55 AM

DanTwoLakes

With all due respect to Ron Mangus, memory foam and gel pad are hyped as solutions to seating problems, but they're also very expensive, and will not give you any more support than regular firm seat foam. Eventually, all foam will compress, and then you are feeling whatever is supporting the foam you have used. Ideally, you would like springs under the foam because that will let the whole assembly flex all at one time. Now I know that you have height restrictions in the "T" bucket, but using something expensive will not necessarily make the seat better, only more expensive.

01-11-2013 02:00 AM

JCAR

I have been using memory foam from aircraft spruce in applications such as this. I know everybody has an opinion about memory foam and car seats, and I am no expert, but it is a trick I picked up in Ron Mangus shop while I was there for a headliner class. It works great. On a side note, his classes are awesome. He is an amazing teacher, makes you feel like you belong in his shop, and an overall good guy. I look forward to making another trip to his shop.

01-10-2013 02:27 PM

delawarebill

bucket seat

i did mine like lakeroaster did his base.. i used 1" high density foam from H&V store. comes in sheets. put 2 on the base and one on the back.. did with plywood base but don't take long to pull it apart and cut the base and web it.. now u can also get the middle seat from a chry mini van.. but most of your console will go..

01-10-2013 10:09 AM

NEW INTERIORS

I know what your saying..

I always wanted to build me a t-bucket but after riding in this one, I'm not sure I will.. I will have to add a little here and there..

01-10-2013 09:57 AM

Irelands child

Quote:

Originally Posted by NEW INTERIORS

Here's a couple..
These cars wasn't built for me for sure..
I'm 6' around 240lbs.. Pay no mind to my dirty knees.. My wife had me on them most of the day..

That's what I meant - I have print photos of about the same thing with me and another in mine, but have a top so it doesn't look quite as full.

One of each in my '31 during the change out to the bomber type - that Glide seat is just too full for my 6'4"/200++ pounds(the Glide and upholstery is a heluva lot better seat).

Dan, my ref to a softer top layer of foam, according to my upholsterer, is mostly to help in making better corners, not seating comfort.

01-10-2013 09:47 AM

lakeroadster

My '27 RPU is original Henry Ford steel, but the body is the same size as a T-Bucket.

I cut the stock seat frame down so I would sit lower in the car and then made a plywood seat base, cut holes in it, and used webbing to cover the holes. The upholstery shop then covered the seat base with high density foam.

For me, the uncomfortable part is the lack of leg room. Because you can't stretch out your legs you put most of your weight on your tail bone, that's what makes the ride uncomfortable, not so much seat related as the length of the bucket itself. I cut down on the amount of padding in the back seat for that very reason.

I think Ford figured that out. Model A Roadster's have a longer leg room, which makes a huge comfort difference for longer drives. And that's also why some of the glass body makers started making the bodies longer.... but it pretty much messes up the visual proportion of a Model T, IMO.

01-10-2013 08:55 AM

NEW INTERIORS

Here's a couple..
These cars wasn't built for me for sure..
I'm 6' around 240lbs.. Pay no mind to my dirty knees.. My wife had me on them most of the day..

01-10-2013 08:51 AM

DanTwoLakes

Polyurethane foam comes in many different grades of density and quality. It is expressed in a 4 digit numbering system. The first two numbers are the quality of the foam, meaning the amount of urethane in the foam, and the last two numbers are the firmness, or density of the foam expressed in ILD which is indent load deflection. The higher the first two numbers the better the foam, and the higher the last two numbers the firmer the foam.

There is no reason to use softer foam for the top layer, because once you sit on the foam it will compress under your body weight making the softer foam much less effective in supporting you and much less efficient in holding it's shape. There is no original equipment auto seat foam that is more than one density, which is usually very firm. The support you want will be more dependent on what is under the foam to support it.

01-10-2013 08:33 AM

BOBCRMAN@aol.com

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irelands child

I sure wouldn't get too fancy with a T-bucket seat. There just isn't room to get a console and fancy seats in there. A good reasonably firm base foam along with a less firm top version is all you will need. If you are fairly tall and/or hefty, your leg room and how you can use the pedals will determine how long you can drive yours without a break. As mentioned above, the small gas tank will also have some bearing as very few can carry more then 10 gallons before you need another fill up and break. And before you say it, yes, I owned and drove a T-bucket for over 10 years.

That full length console - I think you had better sit in the car with mocked up upholstery and a temporary seat out of plywood. You might just find that you no longer fit and are still able to readily reach the pedals. I have a somewhat larger car, a Model A roadster, it originally had some beautifully done Glide Engineering seats - but I had trouble getting in and out then even handling the car, even with a tilt wheel. I now have some upholstered bomber style seats, a several hundred dollar 'aw s@#t. I'm still tight in there, but now can easily drive the car - and absolutely no room for a full length, between-the-seats console. If Randy (New Interiors) were to put up his photo of two guys stuffed in that 'bucket, you will see what I mean.

Agreed.
I am 6 ft. 225 lbs. and my good buddy is 5ft 10. 265 lbs. When we go cruisin, the bucket is more than full!

01-10-2013 07:00 AM

Irelands child

I sure wouldn't get too fancy with a T-bucket seat. There just isn't room to get a console and fancy seats in there. A good reasonably firm base foam along with a less firm top version is all you will need. If you are fairly tall and/or hefty, your leg room and how you can use the pedals will determine how long you can drive yours without a break. As mentioned above, the small gas tank will also have some bearing as very few can carry more then 10 gallons before you need another fill up and break. And before you say it, yes, I owned and drove a T-bucket for over 10 years.

That full length console - I think you had better sit in the car with mocked up upholstery and a temporary seat out of plywood. You might just find that you no longer fit and are still able to readily reach the pedals. I have a somewhat larger car, a Model A roadster, it originally had some beautifully done Glide Engineering seats - but I had trouble getting in and out then even handling the car, even with a tilt wheel. I now have some upholstered bomber style seats, a several hundred dollar 'aw s@#t. I'm still tight in there, but now can easily drive the car - and absolutely no room for a full length, between-the-seats console. If Randy (New Interiors) were to put up his photo of two guys stuffed in that 'bucket, you will see what I mean.

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